The exhibition “The Mystery of Mithras: Exploring the heart of Roman Cult” can be seen at the Musée Saint-Raymond, Toulouse Archaeology Museum, from 14 May to 30 October 2022. By participating in this project, developed in collaboration with the Musée Royal de Mariemont (Belgium) and the Archäologisches Museum Frankfurt (Germany), the Musée Saint-Raymond remains faithful to its mission and major axis of research: the study of the Roman world.
The god Mithras, of Iranian origin, was the subject of a cult celebrated amongst large communities of followers. This cult was found all throughout the Roman Empire between the end of the first and the end of the fourth centuries. The exhibition in Toulouse is remarkable for its presentation of objects and artworks from the Iberian Peninsula, which provide an insight into the cult of Mithras in the south-western region of Europe. It will also allow the public to discover the cult from a range of different viewpoints.
The exhibition is built around five independent sections with an open-ended scenography. The themes explored include: the Eastern origins of the god, the emergence of the cult within the context of a Roman polytheism, and the major stages in its spread and expansion across the Western Roman Empire. Following an analysis of the main episodes in the mythological narrative associated with the god, the exhibition devotes special attention to the structural specificities of Mithraic sanctuaries and rituals. A section dedicated to the identity of devotees and the organization of their communities questions the reasons for the progressive decline of the cult from the fourth century onwards.
Over the course of the exhibition, the reception or interpretation of Mithras and Mithraism will be examined through a variety of themes relating to pop culture.